A. Hamal et al., Molecular characterisation and expression of an Arabidopsis thaliana L. MAP kinase kinase cDNA, AtMAP2K alpha, PLANT SCI, 140(1), 1999, pp. 41-52
During our study of the mitogen-activated protein (MAP) kinase module in hi
gher plants, we have isolated and characterised an Arabidopsis thaliana cDN
A: AtMAP2K alpha, a novel member of the MAP kinase kinase family. The cDNA
was obtained by screening a library from A. thaliana plantlets using the A.
thaliana EST clone 127H15T7 as a probe. The deduced protein contains 348 r
esidues with a calculated molecular mass of 38.3 kDa. A relationship analys
is using MAP2K catalytic domain sequences from mammals, insect, fungi, yeas
ts, nematode, protists and plants showed that the plant gene family identif
ied to date encodes a distinct group of proteins. The results also indicate
that AtMAP2K alpha is a member of a subgroup of MAP kinase kinases in plan
ts. Signature sequences were identified that characterise either all MAP2Ks
or only plant MAP2Ks. A Northern blot analysis revealed that the AtMAP2K a
lpha transcripts were mostly detected in vegetative tissues from A. thalian
a and Brassica napus plants. In both species, high transcript levels were f
ound in leaves and seedlings, while much lower levels of expression were de
tected in inflorescences and roots from A. thaliana and immature siliques f
rom B. napus. (C) 1999 Elsevier Science Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.